The present invention generally relates to door swing bar guards which become engaged unintentionally and more particularly to a tool for disengaging such bar guards.
Hotel rooms often have swing bar guard mechanisms installed in their rooms. Swing bar guard mechanisms (see FIGS. 5 and 6) consist of a fixed rod most often affixed to a door and which has an enlarged end. Affixed to the door jamb adjacent the fixed rod is a moveable slotted swing arm which has an enlarged entrance adjacent the door jamb and into which the enlarged fixed rod end fits. The remaining slot is of a size which prevents the fixed rod end from being freed from the slotted arm. This arrangement permits the occupant of the room to open the door but a few inches to greet anyone outside of the door, but prevents entry of that person into the room. The fixed rod cannot be removed from the slotted arm without closing the door because of the location of the enlarged entry in the slot.
Such a swing mechanism can become loose after a period of use. When the door is shut hard or slammed, it is not unusual for the swing bar guard to swing into position; thus, locking everyone out of the room. For example, this is not an unusual occurrence when maids clean the rooms. Maintenance workers must then cut the guard with a saw through the partially opened door as a key no longer will gain access to the room.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,415 discloses an unlatching device for disengaging swing arm latches of the type addressed by the present invention. This device is disclosed to be a thin piece of metal with two finger-like prongs at one end and a series of bends to accommodate the door stop. U.S. Pat. No. 2,344,696 is directed to a device to unlatch wing glass latches on automobiles. It does not appear to be useful for swing bar latches. U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,873 is directed to a device for opening chain locks on doors. Again, it does not appear to be useful for swing bar latches.
It is apparent that there is a need for a swing bar guard tool which can be used to unlatch the swing bar guard from the outside of the room when the swing bar guard becomes engaged accidentally or when an emergency in the room exists and it cannot be disengaged. The present invention addresses such need.